UTICA, NY - The chase for the Utica University men's basketball program's third conference title in five years begins now. The Pioneers have clinched the second seed in the 2024-25 Empire 8 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, and are set to host the seventh seed Houghton University Highlanders on Saturday, February 22. Tip off from Miga Court inside the Clark Athletic Center is set for 3pm. 
 
Ticketing Information: For those attending, admission will be $6 for adults, $4 for students and seniors with ID, and children under 12 are free. 
 
Follow Along: For those unable to attend, live video can be found here and live stats can be found here. 
 
How We Got Here: Utica secured the second seed in the tournament after last night's 78-58 victory over the Keuka College Wolves. The Pioneers finish the regular season with a 12-4 record in conference play. Utica consistently found itself in the top of the conference leaderboards in several scoring categories, holding the best scoring margin in the conference, outscoring opponents by 7.8 points per game. The Pioneers are the best shooting team in the conference, shooting just over 47 percent from the floor this season, and 39 percent from beyond the arc. Utica has turned the ball over less than its opponents as well, averaging only 11.3 turnovers per game to the 14.4 turnovers by opponents. 
 
A Look At The Field: The seeding for the tournament and schedule is as follows:
 
Seeding:
No. 1 – SUNY Brockport (14-2 E8, 16-9 Overall)
No. 2 – Utica (12-4 E8, 18-7 Overall)
No. 3 – Nazareth (11-5 E8, 16-9 Overall)
No. 4 – SUNY Poly (11-5, E8, 16-9 Overall)
No. 5 – Alfred (10-6 E8, 14-11 Overall)
No. 6 – Russell Sage (9-7 E8, 16-9 Overall)
No. 7 – Houghton (8-8 E8, 13-12 Overall
No. 8 – SUNY Geneseo (6-10 E8, 9-16 Overall)
 
Schedule:
Saturday, February 22 – First Round (All games at Higher Seed)
No. 8 SUNY Geneseo at No. 1 SUNY Brockport – 4 p.m.
No. 7 Houghton at No. 2 Utica – 3 p.m
No. 6 Russell Sage at No. 3 Nazareth – 4 p.m.
No. 5 Alfred at No. 4 SUNY Poly – 2 p.m.
 
Wednesday, February 26 – Semifinals (All games at Higher Seed)
Winner of Brockport/Geneseo vs. Winner of SUNY Poly/Alfred – TBA
Winner of Utica/Houghton vs. Winner of Nazareth/Russell Sage – TBA 
 
Saturday, March 1 - Championship Final (at Highest Remaining Seed) 
Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 - TBA
 
A Look At Houghton: The Houghton University Highlanders have locked in the seventh seed in the conference tournament. The Highlanders have finished the regular season at 13-12 overall with an 8-8 record in conference play. Lou Bellamy and Christian Sage have been the team's leading scorers throughout the season, each averaging over 16 points per game. Jajuan Preaster is the team's best shooter, shooting over 53 percent from the floor. Sage is the team's top threat from outside, shooting just over 42 percent from beyond the arc. Bellamy is the team's top rebounder, averaging over nine rebounds per game. Sage has also been able to get the Highlander offense going, dishing out a team high 87 assists this season. Trey Flatt has been the thorn in the sides of offenses for the Highlanders, generating a team high 37 steals this season. 

Up Next: With a win, the Pioneers will go on to face the winner of Nazareth/Russell Sage. With Utica remaining the highest seed in that matchup, the game would be played on Miga Court inside the Clark Athletic Center on Wednesday, February 26 with a time that is to be announced.